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In a page report, you can use custom code in your expressions to extend the capabilities of your report. However, for complex functions, or functions you plan to use many times in the report, you also have the facility to embed the code within the report. You can also create and maintain a custom assembly for code that you want to use in multiple reports and refer to its methods in expressions.

Embed Code in the Report

Add a page report template to your project and in the ActiveReports Designer that appears, add code like the following in the Script tab.

To call a function from the control's property

To use the custom constant and variable from the control's property

To call a global collection from the control's property

Use instance-based Visual Basic .NET code in the form of a code block. You can include multiple methods in your code block, and access those methods from expressions in the control properties.

Create custom assemblies

You can create custom assemblies in C# or Visual Basic .NET to make code available to multiple reports:

1. Create or find the assembly you wish to use.
2. Make the assembly available to the report engine.
   • If you are embedding the designer or viewer controls in your own application, copy the assembly to the same location as your executable.
   • If you are using the included designer or viewer, copy the assembly into the ActiveReports assembly folder located at ...\Common Files\ComponentOne\ActiveReports 8 by default.

     Note: To make the assembly available for use in your own application and for use in designing reports for your application, copy it to both locations listed above. Alternatively, you can place the assembly in the Global Assembly Cache (C:\Windows\assembly).

3. Add an assembly reference to the report.
   • From the Report Menu, choose Report Properties.
   • In the Report dialog that appears, select the References and click the Open icon above the assembly name list to add your own assembly.
   • Go to the Class list below the assembly names and under Class name, enter the namespace and class name. Similarly, under Instance name, enter the name you want to use in your expressions.
     
4. Access the assembly through expressions.
   • To access static members (member denoted as public static in C# assemblies, or as Public Shared in Visual Basic assemblies):
     =Namespace.Class.Member
   • To access class instances:
     =Code.InstanceName

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